No more Circus Animals: Mother’s Cookies closes

If you’re a fan of Mother’s Cookies’ famous pink and white-frosted circus animal cookies, now is the time to stock up. The 92-year old company has just closed its doors and stopped cookie production completely. There was virtually no warning about the company’s closure, so fans of the cookies – not to mention the employees of the company, who were supposed to get a 60-day notice of layoffs – are left in the lurch. Their other cookies will also only be available until supplies at stores run out, so Taffy Sandwiches, Iced Raisin Cookies (which I liked, but no one else seemed to) and Iced Oatmeal Cookies will also be in short supply. Hopefully, if the company can’t get its finances together, another company will consider picking up the recipes for these classics – or all of our childhood favorites will be little more than memories.

To get your fix in other places, you can use some regular sugar cookie dough and a lot of pink and white confectioners’ sugar icing to construct a giant animal cookie, like I did last summer, or you can buy a set of circus animal cookie cutters to make your own small cookies. You can also used melted white chocolate and a lot of rainbow sprinkles to get the finished look on the cookies.

Update: The recipes and trademark of the Mother’s brand were purchased by Kellogg’s, which intends to continue production of Mother’s most popular cookies!

BUMMER! My husband’s a California boy and turned me on to the Taffy Creams, which are now my three boys’ favorite store-bought cookie. My sweet in-laws kept us supplied by mail, since you couldn’t buy them east of the Mississippi. I’m really bummed…anyone know a Taffy cookie copy recipe?? I feel really sad for all their employees.

Interesting. What a big bummer. My kids love those. (I like them, too!) There are actually several brands that make them, Archway, too, I think. But I’ve always thought the Mother ones were the best.
By the way, just took a look at your giant sea lion cookie, looks great, so cute, fun and HUGE! Great job!

I almost cried at the store last night. My grandmother ALWAYS had Iced Raisin cookies in the house and whenever I buy them I think of her. I can’t find any now and I want just one more bag in memory of grandma. This happened too fast and I just wasn’t prepared. Thanks for reading. I feel better now, but I miss grandma!!!

I’m sad, too. I grew up next to Oakland (San Leandro). My dad used to deliver cardboard shipping boxes for years to Mother’s Cookies He’d bring us home just made, STILL WARM cookies and crackers in their boxes. Wonderful memories. For those who grew up in the Bay Area, what other kind of cookie is there?

MAN THOSE THINGS WERE THE GREATEST COOKIES EVER. I LUVED THOSE AND NOW THEY TRY TO SELL THE CHEAP ONCE THAT LOOK LIKE THEM BUT TASTE NOTHING(WELL SUM)LIKE THEM. I SOOO WANNA START A PROTEST BUT IM JUST A KID. I HOPE SOMEONE STARTS ONE AND THEY START MAKING THE COOKIES

So damn good that I’ve managed to find myself here and get acquainted with all these cautions. I always had some suspicions on this count, these aggressive colours simply canno’t guarantee any good or benefits. So it’s a big relief.

What a tragedy!! My childhood in the bayarea consisted of many iconic things but one special one was Mothers Cookies. My favorite was the iced oatmeal raisin which was by far and above the best darn milk dipping cookie in existence. Please, Please make them available again!

My childhood in the bayarea consisted of many iconic things but one special one was Mothers Cookies. My favorite was the iced oatmeal raisin which was by far and above the best darn milk dipping cookie in existence. Please, Please make them available again!

Couple of comments – I’m out here ‘east of the Mississippi’ but grew up in Cali so very familiar with Mother’s cookies. Out here, I have been able to find the iced animal crackers under Stauffer’s brand, but none of the other classics. Quite by accident I discovered a way to create something so close to the iced raisin cookies that I felt like I was three years old again! Simply take a graham cracker, smear a bit of vanilla cake frosting on it and then sprinkle some raisins on top of that. Close your eyes and mmmmmm so good!